In many parts of the world, students take up every inch of space in under-resourced schools without enough desks or chairs.

In contrast, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded a 2014 study at Bryan Collegiate High School in Bryan, Texas, United States, to test the efficacy of standing desks. The experiment – conducted in partnership with Texas A&M University – was intended in part to see if making students stand for the duration of a lesson would cause them to burn more calories. Texas is known for having a high rate of obese schoolgoers.

The results, obtained using specialised arm bands to measure calorie expenditure, were significant. Additionally, said school principal Christina Richardson, “the kids who would normally be slouched down, half-asleep or fidgeting in their chair were now standing up and paying attention.”

Researchers confirmed that no student was coerced into using a standing desk. Said one: “What we found was that most students… don’t want to sit still. We are the ones who teach them to be sedentary.” Fourth-grader Emma Kalcounos told a local news station that she preferred standing during class. “When I’m standing, I feel like I’m paying attention and I’m not tired.”